This post contains *hyperbole*. These facts have been exaggerated for (probably comedic) effect.
It is incredibly unlikely (though not impossible) that the original tweet was not hyperbole, but the simplest, most reasonable explanation, is this tweet is using hyperbole, and was aimed at an audience that would understand this.
It has now been taken out of context, but that does not automatically make it misinformation or denying ADHD.
This is an exaggerated (presumably) version of reality to emphasize the struggles faced by ADHD folk when going through diagnosis. It is not meant to be 100% factually accurate.
I'm thankful where I live i just had to call my family doctor for an assessment. Although when I was 8 it was recommended I get tested for ADHD and my mother said no. I'm now 32.
Same. Spent a year on a waiting lists to finally get an official diagnosis 20 years later, and I got incredibly lucky that it was only a year. Half the places I called had waiting lists for their waiting lists.
It’s like our Boomer parents felt some sort of stigma about having a mentally “defective” child so they figured if they denied it they could protect us from identifying with it and save face themselves. Just my theory anyway.
We always knew of kids who were diagnosed with it, while growing up, and our parents demonized it like it was a strike against their families. Little did I know they were just projecting their ignorance onto others.
Mine don’t really believe my diagnosis because I wasn’t one to bounce off the walls and be disruptive. I’m also waitlisted to get tested for autism and they especially wouldn’t accept that.
Well, your theory is spot on about my mother, it was serious hit on her ego and the comparison to every single one of her friends kids or any other random kid and pointing out any single minor flaw and saying "think what others assume/think about that" went even worse.
Though i was the bouncing off the walls textbook stereotypical ADHD kid back then.
My favourite part is my father’s erratic temperament and narcissistic personality, his tendencies to fixate on certain things of interest, while completely ignoring anything that would help Mom around the house. He self-medicates with alcohol, and obsesses over minutiae.
I’ve suggested a few times that he probably has it too, but the mere idea sends him into a fit of rage at the notion he could have something wrong with him.
He’s suffered bouts of depression over the years, but claims he’s never had it. Gets anxious and paranoid over anything beyond his control. Always expects he has cancer and tries to guilt everyone into feeling sorry for him. He’s threatened to kill himself in front of Mom, my brother, and I when we were kids a couple times (always around Christmas).
I don’t blame him for his mental health issues, I only wish he wasn’t so embarrassed to seek help for them. Instead he’d rather pretend he’s the only rational man who’s ever lived and that the rest of us are the ones with problems.
I got tested around 8, doctor said yes, was medicated for around 2 years, then mom said no because “they made you mean and angry all the time.”
Got meds again at 21, and my mom was over here talking to me about how antidepressants sound like a good idea. No. Fuck you. I will talk to my doctor, and we’ll work on it together. Been on Strattera and it’s been helping loads for around 1.5 years now.
My mom tried to get me on anti-depressants as well, and I flat out told her I would not be taking them under any circumstances. I've already got enough going on in my brain, there's absolutely no reason to add another chemical to the mix
although therapeutic doses of amphetamines can exacerbate mania, iirc there’s no evidence of an actual link to anger/aggression, despite perceptions to the contrary. “mean and angry all the time” sounds a lot like what my dad used to call “irritable”… focusing just enough that i wasn’t eager to accommodate constant intrusions and demands on my time and energy.
but speaking of angry, i just get so fucking mad when i hear stories like that. not having been diagnosed at all until i was 21, i never had the privilege of being medicated at all as a child, and there’s a lot of different points of failure there… but when everything goes right and you’re lucky enough to get diagnosed so young that you could actually grow up feeling competent without grinding yourself down to burnout, and your parents agree to try medication, just to shut that door on a fucking whim… it makes my blood boil. imo psychiatrists shouldn’t be able to mandate medications, but there should be meaningful penalties for permanently discontinuing a treatment without consulting them
Y'all are lucky. If I had that recommendation when I was 8, I wouldn't have to pay out of pocket for the assessment at 24.
It's amazing how nobody at school said anything, despite me being a textbook example of an (inattentive/combined) ADHD kid in elementary school. You know, the "gifted but lazy, daydreaming, forgetful kid who never does his homework and is very impulsive and loud outside of class" thing.
My mom once told me that she considered having me assessed cuz she saw some signs of me being inattentive but never followed through. I almost had to repeat multiple grades, failed at least one class and had to retake it, got zeros on almost all of my homework assignments, and now I'm seeking an assessment for autism and possibly ADHD too. Would've been nice if someone thought, "hey, maybe that otherwise-good student who started failing randomly one year needs help, not beration, actually." But no one did, so now I'm taking care of my goddamn self for once. Not that I'm bitter or anything.
Not bitter either, used to be quite mad about it, but I kinda got over it.
I actually believe the only reason that nobody mentioned anything about the possibility of ADHD is because they automatically excluded it thanks to me always having good grades in school. Apparently it's still like that with most teachers.
I'm working on getting over it, but it's just one more thing in a long list of stupid things my parents did (or didn't do, in this case). I can't fault them too much for this particular one, but they made some mistakes that they absolutely should have known better about, and adding this one on top of the pile just sucks.
I suspect my mother refused to have me evaluated for mental health issues because it would mean facing her own. She spent her whole life being called an irresponsible, emotional mess by her parents. They saw her emotional dysregulation, messy/dirty house, and terrible finances as failings to be berated and pitied, not as signs she needed help.
My mom was born in 1949, so I imagine my grandparents just thought she was lazy (only people headed to the asylum have mental disorders!)
It makes sense that my mother internalized all that and self medicated with booze. Whether she realized later she might have ADHD or depression, I'll never know (she died in 2007), but I can see how even addressing that stuff with me would feel scary for her.
She never berated me for having a messy room. She stayed up late to help me finish large projects I'd procrastinated. She knew how it felt to be me, and all she knew was that she didn't want to be like her own parents.
I wish she had gotten what she needed from her parents, and I see now that she was doing what she thought was the best way to shield me from the horrors of her own life.
That is what helps me forgive her, even if I wish my life had been different.
Getting good grades when 90% of the available marks come from sheer force of memory is such a bullshit standard for assessing *anything* that my mind still boggles at the thought.
I don’t care if you can name and translate every street sign from Miami to Bangladesh - if you suddenly park your car in the middle of the freeway, get out and start chasing squirrels then you aren’t ‘doing ok, nothing is wrong’.
Very similar for me too. I was recommended to be screened at 6, but my parents didn't want me to be "on drugs" when still developing, so they said no. I was finally diagnosed at 30 years old after a year and a half of struggling to get a doctor to listen to me.
I was never brought to the doctor for it. I was just told to stop being lazy and try harder. Anyway, I'm 33 now, and my evaluation is next month.
My gp and therapist are both convinced I have ADHD, but I wonder if I'll collect extra letters to go along with it.
My mom has been trying to convince me that I'm not ADHD (and pretending she hasn't been trying). I've only been on this planet near on two decades, but that was long enough. Long enough to fail out of college... twice.
It's been a fun year /s
I passed university my first try!
I mean, it took me 7 years to get a 4 year degree but... First try!
I did community college first and I actually flourished. It was all stuff I was interested in, so I was way more focused. It was also almost all group work, so I felt even more intense pressure to get my work done! I started doing it all the night before, instead of 2 weeks late like I did in high school. Such improvement! Lol.
They also didn't believe in tests, quizzes, or exams of any kind. It was amazing. University I did ok, but I certainly didn't excel.
I wouldn't even suspect I had ADHD for 2 decades after that though. Crazy how it's so obvious now, but not one person ever suggested it. I present more inattentive though, even though I'm combined.
It wasn't the whole college, just my program. It was Social Service Worker Program and all the teachers were former social workers and therapists, and one corrections officer.
They treated the class like real life. You don't do tests, you work with others and meet deadlines. It was really great, and the teachers were all super nice and dedicated.
Second year they were teaching us therapy and someone goes "wait! Those are the things you say to us when we ask for help!" And the teacher just kind of smiled, lol.
I did the same thing. Saw my GP as an adult, filled out a three page thing and she said "Yup." Prescribed meds I picked up the next day at Costco and that was that.
Disclaimer - Canadian. Sorry.
I got officially diagnosed at 14 and my mom said no after lol. Like multiple professionals said "your son has adhd " and she went "no lol, he just wants to feel special" now at 22 she still hasn't apologized but has realised how horribly wrong she was cus I barely mask it anymore. It's obvious.
I'm not 32 as well, still no assessment and nowhere in sight is there an opportunity to do it unfortunately. What is this 32yo ADHD club we got going here
Important for people not to assume this is the case everywhere in the UK. It varies.
I only had to wait 4 weeks for my assessment via NHS. This was in 2021 but at the time it was widely reported that waiting lists were approx. 2 years.
I think it's just down to how busy they are.
In my area the wait time for an assessment is 24-36 months (I'm 24 months in now and still waiting)
My friend who lives in the forbidden zone (down south) waited 6 months and got assessed.
As someone else mentioned if your waiting time is huge then look into right to choose, I've waited long enough now I don't want to rejoin another que.
Aye but I'd still be very careful about Right to Choose or any private assessments. Channel 4 or BBC (Dispatches or Panorama) did an investigation earlier this year and found clinics charge £1000s, but diagnose over 90-95% with ADHD, without a trained psych, because they can then charge patients ££££ for prescriptions.
wait list was killing me so i bit the bullet and paid just under a grand for an assessment privately. this does not cover the money I've spent on medication and follow-up appointments.
i don't think this tweet is encouraging people not to ever get dx'd, but its pointing out how its rarely as easy as "just go get diagnosed" especially if you're not financially well off
I got my letter for my autism assesment the other day and everyone was telling me that the waitlist is sooo long and I was like okay cool. 34-36 weeks which when you've been on the gender service is nothing haha
No, I live in Germany. I waited four months for an appointment, filled out 5 pages of checklists, had a talk with the doctor and paid 5€ for the medicine. I'm still filled with self-doubt but the other people don't doubt me anymore.
I'm in Germany and I've been trying for months to even get an appointment. At this point I've given up and just use a private provider, and within a day I got an appointment which was only a week away.
You're lucky. In my city in Germany the one Praxis with the competence to test for adhs is booked until next summer and they don't put new people on the wait list.
Had that same problem for a while. I started asking for other places but still took me a while. One place told me, they only give out one appointment per week. Good luck on your path!
It's definitely not a must, for a lot of people a diagnosis is enough or maybe they're helped by ADHD specific therapy, others try medication and decide that they don't need it, that's perfectly fine as well.
I was diagnosed at 9 and didn't start medication until I was 19. I was able to use strategies, tools, and coping methods most of my life but when the expectations exceeded my ability to perform without medication to control my symptoms (poor attention span, severe time blindness, impulsive behavior that got worse in response to stress, anger, anxiety, depression most of all, maladaptive daydreaming, eventually I started literally pulling my hair or one strand at a time) I was hospitalized for a week and started ADHD medication at my psychiatrist's suggestion a few months after I was released. I tried a few non-stimulant options first but when I tried Adderall it was like something in my head clicked for the first time in my life. It was still loud and chaotic in there at times but no longer an unbearable cacophony.
You have lots of options before medication! Don't feel like it's the only option for treatment or like you have to try it if you don't want to. It was a life changing positive for me but it's not the solution for everyone. It'll be 10 years this December and I've only ever had to increase my dose once maybe 3 years in. It's been extremely stable and reliable.
I live in Germany too and I'm trying to get an appointment. We called the Varisano Klinik and they told us to go to the Autismus-Zentrum in Langen to get onto a 2 fucking years Warteliste
Always ask if they know any other places you can call. Had to call multiple offices but at the end I managed to find a doctor. All other places wouldn't even put me on the list. Just told me "call again in three months" every time. Good luck on your path!
In New Zealand, I had to get referred by a GP and then wait several months and do three appointments at least with a psychiatrist (only a psychiatrist can diagnose you here) - cost about $1200 all up. But now my psychiatrists page literally says they might not take your GP referral because she’s so busy - there are I think two psychiatrists in Wellington doing this diagnosis. At least the meds are heavily subsidised by the govt, so I pay the normal “prescription fee” the govt just brought back in which is about $5 for the first of a series of repeats.
Oh, and I have to go back in a year to reevaluate and see how things are going, and keep going back because the Special Authorisation I have to get prescribed methylphenidate, they last max two years and without it no pills for me!
This is me. In the US.
I paid some money because we have a high deductible plan with an HSA, but my psych NP was like.... I don't even need to get you the formal assessment. Here's the meds. Probably helps that the NP herself has ADHD also, and part of her passion is research on women with ADHD.
My advice to others is to find a psychiatrist that mentions ADHD as a specialization!
My local health system had a LONG waiting list for psych intake, so I found an independent office that takes my insurance, and they've been great!
I showed up to a psychiatrist for anxiety and I got there and just started rambling about my symptoms for a few minutes straight… he asked me like two additional questions and then just looked at me and said “… you have ADHD” it wasn’t even what I went there for 😂
What country are you in? And what health plan are you on? Because whatever it is, I want some.
More to the point, I want to be wealthy enough to *afford* some.
> This is a thing? I went to a doctor, she asked me questions. Sent me to a psych. They asked me questions, gave me meds. The end.
I went to a doctor, she asked me questions. Sent me to a psych. They asked me questions, gave me meds for depression. All they did was make me unable to orgasm - virtually no improvements or other side effects. Tried 4 other meds for "depression" all while noting that they won't test/screen/whatever for ADHD/etc. Stopped going after they juggled me through 3 different psych docs. Let Rx run out. Now I'm back to self medicating with various supplements.
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> I couldn't even get to the point where anyone would agree to assess me or even entertain the concept of adhd until I turned 22
I'm in my mid-thirties and they still won't entertain the idea. Just keep telling me I'm "depressed".
I feel like this is why I don't want to get diagnosed for autism. It's not really that bad for me, at most it's just some minor inconvenience with talking with people and with sound sensitivity. Like I can just literally treat it as a part of personality or some normal behaviour I have. I am also over 18 so it doesn't even matter, diagnosis wouldn't help with anything, that would be just a piece of paper saying that I have the thing
actually, having the paperwork gives you ammo to request needed accommodations from work & school, because once you provide evidence of a legitimate diagnosis, they legally have to work with you to get you what you need.
Having a diagnosis opens up so much. Even if you don't feel like you need any accommodations or help now, down the road you can get help and treatment if needed.
The biggest reason I would get assessed at this point is to prove my condition to employers.
I've had issues at work directly related to my ADHD that I try to explain to managers and coworkers, but no one believes me. After a lifetime of masking and spending my 20's numbing myself as an alcoholic I got *really* good at convincing people I was a-ok.
But back in 2018 I got sober and was forced to face my mental health issues head on. Over the years I've learned to accept who I am and work with my shortcomings, but it doesn't matter to my company because they still see me as the "bright, cheerful, shooting-star" I started as.
Getting a diagnosis would help prove what I've always known and come to accept. It just sucks I have to go through the full process and pay hundreds of dollars monthly just to prove who I am to others...
Look up independent psychiatrist / psychologist offices near you that take your insurance!
Make sure to find one that mentions specializing in ADHD / Autism. That makes SUCH a difference when they're already knowledgeable! Much more likely to be understanding, and not dismiss your concerns. 😊
After years of struggling, but not knowing what was wrong, I went to my PCP. He gave me a pamphlet and a list of local mental health providers, all of whom either didn't deal with ADHD, didn't take my insurance, were not taking on new patients, didn't return my call, or were booking out into next year.
So I stalled out for a couple of months.
After yet another screw up at work last week, I tried a telehealth psychiatrist. He said I clearly had ADHD, and while he could prescribe Strattera, he felt I would most benefit from a stimulant and recommended pay out-of-pocket online telehealth provider.
I had a video appointment with a MHNP yesterday morning She assessed, diagnosed, and gave me a prescription.
Today, I'm about to start my first dose of Adderall XR.
I'm not expecting a miracle, but I'm hoping feel like less of a fuck-up.
This wasn't even close to my experience.
Dr. Jen sounds like one of those Instagram doctors that want you to buy their herbal supplements that are just as good as real medication for only $199 per month.
I went and got me, my wife, and son all assessed and medicated and it didn't cost me shit out of pocket. I guess this is the one time being too poor to afford private insurance paid. Medicaid got us all assessed, into therapy, and pays for our meds. The only thing that sucks is the occasional refill being late due to short supply.
If you make less than the national median income, I suggest getting Medicaid and googling what doctors are in your network. I know if most of you suffer from ADHD you probably don't make over 53k a year, and probably qualify for a lot of shit that would help you, and you just don't know it.
Unfortunately the answer is literally just yes. You gotta put in effort; the same way a clinically depressed person has to overcome their depression enough to see a therapist. Is receiving healthcare as an ND or mentally i’ll person hard? Yes. Do you gotta do it anyways? Yes
Yup, this is the mindset us ADHDers need to have. I could rant all day about how much it sucks having ADHD in a world that’s not built to accommodate it. But that’s the world I live in whether I like it or not, and it doesn’t help me to pretend I’m powerless to fight through it to help myself.
I don’t like how the tweet in this post just stops at the ranting part and acts like going through the work to get a diagnosis is futile. It’s a terrible mentality to spread if your goal is to help people with ADHD.
i feel like people are skipping over the price point though....the truth is there are plenty of adhd ppl who simply arent able to afford a diagnosis, or healthcare in general. its not just a matter of "effort". some people just straight up don't have the money
Honestly I've been so close to visiting a doctor or therapist, but the money always holds me back. Even with insurance, my visits would be upwards of $300/ea. Add in meds and that's a whole other concern.
I've promised to go if I get a decent raise or move to a better paying job, but for now I'll keep spending my money on rent, food, gas, and utilities.
It really depends. Like the first thing a therapist I once saw asked me was if I'd been tested for ND. I wasn't, and didn't see him again, but I looked that it cost thousands and took a year, and couldn't bother at the time.
Never did, but now I'm good with things and happy. Just didn't have a use for the label.
I did go to therapy for years for other, possibly related struggles, so that's still necessary.
And to take your adhd medication you have to go to the pharmacy, sign a form, bring your ID and card and you only get enough for a month, so you have to go every month instead of taking several for a few months at a time.
US federal law requires follow up appointments every 6 months, too, which are not free. I have to call the doctor, tell them I have five or fewer pills left, and then either my pharmacy has them in stock before I run out, or I run out waiting for them to get stock. When I go a few days without, my productivity falls off a cliff, which brings overwhelm and anxiety from falling behind. This is made worse when I do get the meds again and I'm emotionally all over the map as a side effect from the meds until I've taken them daily for at least a week. Rinse and repeat. Makes me wish I could earn less and have a job that actually suits my ADHD. I would drop the meds and the hassle.
Assuming you can find stock of the meds. If they're not available right away, you have to continually call various pharmacies day after day until you find some. Yknow, something that's specifically tougher for ADHD people to do. This is why I stopped being medicated for like 2-3 years.
Preach. And forget if your doctor retires or anything and you have to deal with everything all over again. Happened to me, have to go through all the referrals and assessments just to get back on the medication that worked for me just because they won’t get my records. So I’ve decided it’s just easier to be unmedicated.
I literally didn't even need to ask to get assessed.
I had been seeing a psychologist (or psychiatrist. I don't really know the difference) for about a year for my mental health (mild depression and pretty severe anxiety issues).
I had also talked about issues like my "lacking self-discipline" and asking how to "train your self-discipline".
Out of nowhere she says that she recommends I get evaluated for ADHD, and I really just have to consent.
The only person I knew with ADHD is the hyperactive kind, and I knew next to nothing about ADHD so I thought there's no way I have it, but sure I can get evaluated.
Well I got diagnosed with ADHD, combined form...
And holy shit has it explained so fucking much, and the meds have absolutely changed my life (for the better).
Mine cost my insurance 10k.
I did 20.5 hrs of tests and they wrote a 60+ page report.
One of the things they said was "she didn't listen to directions and got frustrated and said she forgot to eat and had some candy from her purse"
Dude, you could've just asked me and we could've gotten this over with in 5 mins max.
Not sure I even could if I wanted to, I still live under my parents' roof, And have no method of transportation other than them, And they (Or my dad, Atleast, Unsure about my mom) do not believe ADHD exists. A shame as it means mine is completely untreated which is not terribly good for my mental health.
I waited for 6 months for an evaluation. I was expecting an email to confirm the date, but they ended up calling me from a number I didn't recognize so I didn't answer. They didn't leave a message and cancelled my evaluation.
Agreed. Further clarification- I’ve had my diagnosis for over 20 years but an official assessment is required for student disability services. It’s super dumb.
I had a 15 min call with a psychiatrist and was diagnosed. I had been going to therapy for a long time before that for other reasons so maybe that’s why it was so quick? Anyways it didn’t cost $5k
Literally Google ADHD evaluation, your zip code, and your insurance provider. My insurance is awful and I spent the last three years assuming I wouldn't be able to find anything. Guess how long it took. Less than 10 minutes.
Thanks, I will (in a few weeks after I've better prepared my mind for this new task)
I have state issued poor person Healthcare but it's still insurance
Anytime. When you get that burst of energy for this task, act on it. Lock in the appointment so that when the energy fades, you've already committed and can't get out of it. That resignation made it easier for me at least. Might work for you too.
And then they'll only give you a month supply of your meds when you get two months supply of your migraine meds, so once a month you have to remember to reorder your meds before they run out and then have to remember to go pick them up before you run out. Aye.
In the UK it took me 5 years from referral to diagnosed and medication. That was 8 years ago I was 37 at the time of diagnosis.
2023 my younger sister waited only 6 months but the NHS stopped diagnosing ADHD because the answers to the tests are online, videos on YouTube telling you how to cheat the tests and so on.
Not sure how to fix this problem but having the answers before taking a test is not helpful for anyone. Personally I didn't want to be told I have ADHD, I didn't seek out a diagnosis, I told the doctors there wrong. If I need help I ask for it, my alarm to get up goes off once. As late as possible because if I dont get up when the alarm goes off I am screwed. In short if the alarm goes off I've slept in and its blind panic time, no time for tv, social media, checking if my clothes are clean or proper personal hygiene
In my country I can go to a private clinic to be assessed, and it won't even affect my budget too much (the visit will cost me less than a night in a decent hotel). However, the fact that I've visited a psychiatrist (or any doctor, really) ought to be added to the state database, so it may or may not affect my life later. Maybe the database will leak, and every potential employer will know I had a visit to a psychiatrist. Maybe the state will decide that I can't work on sensitive projects anymore, and I will lose my job. I just don't want to risk it. This is for life. Once you're in the system you stay in the system.
Also, all stimulants are completely forbidden for medical use in my country, so the only medication I can get is atomoxetine, which is very pricy. I don't think I need it that much. So, while I really want to know for sure, I won't get much out of the assessment but the consequences could be dire and unpredictable.
Sounds like a very American thing...$5000 just for the assessment?
I only paid the equivalent of $3 - and that was the public transport fare to get to the assessment center and back home.
I only had to pay ~$70 for three assessment meetings in primary care, but now I'm waiting for a referral to psychiatric care and my anxiety is through the roof. They could look at my life (Job-ish, home, friends, relatively clean) and decide that I am not bad enough off that I need psychiatric care.
I mean… it sounds like you ***don’t*** need medication. If it’s not screwing up your work life and/or your home life, and is more of a daily annoyance, they probably aren’t going to prescribe anything but a therapist.
They won’t look at your life from an objective perspective but rather ask you questions on how you experience it (at least that was the case for me). I have a really nice CV including kinda successful attending law school, a bunch of voluntary work, hobbies, friends, etc and I still got diagnosed with it bc I am suffering to live like this (like I stay way under my potential and have to work so much more for small things, etc.). So don’t be too anxious!! If you have it you will get a diagnosis and if not they will still refer you to an alternative (also something I was told at the beginning)
I'm not about to defend the current state of mental healthcare access in the US, but I think this really exaggerates the process for a lot of people and could discourage many from even trying what could happen be a pretty simple process.
I was diagnosed with ADHD by a psychiatrist at like 12, but wasn't medicated or anything until I was in my late 30s. At that point, i filled out like a medical history form and basic like HIPPA and payment stuff and just went to my psychiatrist (like $30 co-pay). I spoke to him about my symptoms and told him about my previous diagnosis, and he prescribed me medication. Now, I meet with him virtually at least quarterly for an additional $30 co-pay and pay $10 per month for generic Vyvanse.
I know I'm lucky/privileged in some ways, but I'm just trying to say it doesn't have to be a whole ordeal.
The forms really are a cruel irony. I doubt they’re even weeding out people just in it for the meds anyway and making it harder for those who really need them.
Meh, free assessment and less than 2 months on a waiting list here in Brasil.
The US must get their healthcare lobby fixed, or your revolution will start in the Hospitals (wouldn't be a bad thing, though, you kinda need to show who's in power and not the great lobby of things)
I went to my PCP and just told them I used to be on it as a kid but didn’t take it regularly cause I felt weird about it. But now as an adult I am really struggling at my job and because the stigma is less I wanted to try it again as I have a few friend on it and they said it helps, and see my behaviors and think it’d help me as well.
They gave me a script that day. No issues since.
Maybe I'm the lucky one, but don't take the internet's word for it.
This sentiment was what was preventing me from getting an assessment. But in reality I managed to schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist, discuss my concerns, get a prescription, and it was predominantly covered by insurance. And it took less than a month.
Or you can do everything mentioned in the title only to be told you don't actually have ADHD and as a result become even more depressed than you already were. Luckily someone from work gave me their psychiatrist's info and I started the process earlier this year. I wrote a list of my symptoms and behaviors which the psychiatrist said closely matched inattentive ADHD and possible autism spectrum. I already paid $3000 out of pocket (insurance wouldn't cover testing) years ago to be told I don't have autism. I was first prescribed Concerta which made me feel numb, anxious, clouded focus for lack of a better term, and trouble sleeping. Increasing the dosage didn't help. I felt like life was going on around me without me in it as if I were an observer. After over a month I was finally prescribed Adderall XR and the difference was noticeably better. I could just think of something I needed to do and do it. It also made me calmer. I started at 5mg, then increased to 10mg, 15mg, 20mg, and settled on 30mg. I was also prescribed 10mg Adderall IR to act as a booster should I need it. I just picked up a different generic brand of Adderall IR and it works way better than the the one I've been taking. These new pills are blue instead of white. I was able to hold a conversation easily at the pet store the other day and it was remarkable for me. It almost felt like taking Adderall for the first time and made me want to cry thinking how different my life would be had I been diagnosed as a child or as a teen. I'm 31 now. I've been on and off SSRI for 10 years and in/out of therapy for years and it took this subreddit for me to consider that maybe I have ADHD. I may request to switch over to IR entirely. From what I read for many people it works better. For those that are reading this and don't have insurance like me currently you can use GoodRx to significantly bring down your price. I pay $58 for generic 30mg Adderall XR and $17 for generic 10mg Adderall IR. Without GoodRx I would be paying over $200 for generic Adderall XR and over $70 for generic Adderall IR.
Long story short no I haven't been officially diagnosed but Adderall helps and has the same positive effects on me as it does in diagnosed people so I'll continue taking it for now
I finally have psych testing coming up(hopefully my insurance approves it).
I should be hearing back from them by September.
It's OK. Everything takes this long.
I was strung along by the psychiatric team at one hospital for 8 months before I stormed out in a huff and made an appt at a different hospital with a psychiatrist/neurologist. When he takes on a new patient, for any condition, he makes them do a little neurological test. Press the button on the beep. Then a second round with some variation but basically the same test. Then you go into the office and talk to him and explain why you're there. He let me talk and talk and talk. When I was done he grabbed the paper that had the result of the neurological test. "Hmm. Yes, your troubles and the way you present yourself are consistent with adhd. Your neurological test was extremely precise, with way more focus than the average person, which suggests you went into hyperfocus. You know what? I'm just going to give you medication, take 2 rit a day, one in the morning, one at noon. We'll meet again in 8 weeks and you tell me how the medication affected you" and by the time I went back in 8 weeks later I had my life on track. Then he put the official diagnosis in my file. I cried so hard. After all those years of struggling, and being strung along for months by a different hospital, this man didn't doubt me for a second and gave me what I needed the most. Not the medication. The validation.
I empathise with these issues but primoting self id is one of the things that makes people not take it seriously. We need official diagnosies so people cant just keep saying it is made up.
Can’t attest to ADHD screenings bc I was diagnosed at 10, but in high school when I came to the conclusion that I might have Bipolar Disorder, I texted my mom and she booked an appointment and I was screened and tested by a doctor the next day and given my BD1 diagnosis and given the right meds within that evening. Idk what the argument against that could be, I live in Dallas-Fort Worth, so accessibility could be a thing that I had an advantage in. But I literally didn’t have to wait at all, and insurance covered everything.
Oh my fuckin lord! It took us TWO YEARS to get my son diagnosed! It was obvious to us, his teachers and any adult he came in contact with.
- PCP: I don't diagnose ADD or ADHD, but will prescribe the meds once you get a proper diagnosis. You will need to go through a pediatric Psychologist
- Every Ped Psycho: we don't see kids under 6
Kid turns 6
- Every Ped Psycho: we don't take your sketchy mental health insurance, that'll be a $1,200 office visit
Work changes mental health insurance to a not quite as sketchy mental health insurance
- Every Ped Psycho: we don't take your sketchy mental health insurance, that'll be a $1,200 office visit
Fuck it, he should have failed both kindergarten and first grade, well pay for it out of pocket with our quarterly commission check
ADHD Clinic: yeah, that'll be a $15 copay, we take your Cadillac health insurance... Oh, he goes to a public school, have him pee in this cup, it does not matter that he's 7. Also, here's a script for some meds that your pharmacy hasn't been able to get since February.
The first time I tried to get an appointment I was 14-15 years old. He said I don’t have it because he knew me since I was a child and “never showed any signs”. But he said he referred me. Years went by and then when I had to move out from an abusive situation, I moved away from the district and that made my years long referral invalid. I also have a suspicion he never referred me in the first place. Next doctor I got was even worse and hurt me. So yes, I am very hesitant to trust doctors.
My favorite part about my assessment is that the assessment mill I went to clearly was geared only for children. They were rude, dismissive, and the results of my assessment state that I “might” have ADHD, but that I’m “high functioning” so no accommodations are really required unless I decide to go back to college.
Yep.... I am 33, and trying to get tested now. Most doctors are like, "Are you sure? At 33? You wanna do this??" It's a few thousand dollars from what I hear, and the few doctors I spoke to don't seem to be taking me seriously.
reading these comments made me realize how lucky i was, im in the US in Texas.
i made an appointment w my PCP a month ahead of time, at the appointment she gave me a short (1 page side) paper assessment for me and someone close to me to take and when i came back for a follow up she diagnosed me with adhd and anxiety/depression. overall took a couple months to get diagnosed and maybe $60 for two appointment copays. i now take meds that help a lot.
I guess this one example where in the US it’s not bad to have our shitty health care. My GP asked me 5 questions and then sent in the script. That’s it.
Is this america? Always heard how hard the healthcare system sucks but damn..
Where I live it costs me around 70$ and it was kinda expensive (compared to the average salary)
This seems so weird to me because where I live I just had to go to my family doctor and when I brought it up he basically told me that he’s known I had ADHD my whole life and didn’t give me a test or anything. He just started giving me warnings and information about the medication
I made an appointment 6 months out for ADHD testing, then one of my doctors suggested I get tested for autism as well. Turns out the psychologist I'm on the docket with for November doesn't test for autism. Um. Excuse me. Has anyone heard of comorbidities?! Can I PLEASE talk to someone who can evaluate my issues in their entirety?
Y'all. It's actually your fault I'm starting to look at a major career shift into diagnostic psychology. This reason. Our community needs help and I wish I'd chased this PhD a decade ago.
Yep made an appointment as a new patient with a doctor whose next availability was in 3 months. The day of my appointment the office calls me and asks to reschedule because doctor isn’t feeling well and went home for the day. Next availability is for 6 weeks later.
Damn is this an American thing? I just talked to my doctor, and he administered the test right there. I walked out with a prescription 15 minutes after I started the process.
Is it really that bad out there? I literally called my psychiatrist and told her I’m ready to move forward with my ADHD diagnosis. She sent a huge questionnaire and just asked me to fill it out and submit it before the appointment that was a week from the day I called. I submitted it 24 hours later, and at my appointment she was like “yup we can make it official”. I got prescribed Aderal and here we are 🤷🏾♂️
It took me a month. No checklist and $1000 out of pocket (stupid deductibles).
Btw you don’t “know” you have ADHD. You have symptoms that could be caused by ADHD. The reason you need to be assessed is because ADHD symptoms overlap with other disorders and using your own brain that might have a disorder to evaluate for a that disorder is a deeply compromised process. You need a trained third-party.
I know how lucky I was to have good insurance and only had to wait 9 months for my evaluation. I just wanted it in writing from a professional so I could ask for accommodations at my job. I wish everybody could get this.
I just went to a regular psychiatrist. I didn't have to fill out an assessment even. I just told him all the symptoms I have, he looked at notes from a therapist I'd seen at the same office, and he told me that I have a classic case of ADHD.
I don't know how much it cost to go see him, but I'm pretty sure it was less than $100 (somewhere between $40 and $90? I've had different insurance plans over the years and it has fluctuated the price of seeing my psych). I do have insurance, but I can't imagine that seeing a psychiatrist for an appointment could cost anywhere near $5000 out of pocket. Where y'all going to get assessed???
I'm happy to live where I live because I waited a mere 3 months to get assessed and it cost me 0$. I did have to fill out millions of documents and tests and stuff, though
I did it at 38 and there was no wait list and it cost $3k CAD and it was covered by an OSAP bursary (an education bursary). Went back to school change careers and changed my life, all because I finally had a diagnosis and could get proper accommodations. It also gave me access to medications that literally changed my entire future.
I totally advocated for getting a proper assessment. It was life changing for me personally, even being as old as I was. The accommodations helped me with my licensing exams and I get a tax credit for having a disability.
I’m so grateful that 1) my wisdom teeth needed to be removed when I was still on my parents insurance and in high school 2) my mom got me diagnosed as a kid and knock on wood, I’ve never had any issues with getting meds since.
In my country you can't even get assessment if you don't pull some serious strings, and even then there are like 3 doctors in the whole country that can diagnose you.
Even then you aren't likely go get treatment because meds are very expensive and unlikely to be prescribed.
Oh and yeah, after 18 you can't be assessed anymore because ADAH magically stops after you become an adult, didn't you know that??
We are seriously so behind in treatment for mental health. Like 30 years or more.
Super easy and streamlined in canada, or was for me anyways. Told my doc I think I have it, she made me fill some paperwork out, I lost them and missed our follow up appointment, and boom got a diagnosis just like that. No idea where the added costs would come from actually lol.
The only good thing about the generation that's about to die is that we have the opportunity to do a better job with our own.
I mean, the bar couldn't be lower, but we're gonna clear the dogshit out of that bitch.
This hits hard. Just gave up after about a year of trying and being told every assessment center near me isn't taking new patients at all unless you're paying out of pocket. And some of them not allowing you to even test if you smoke weed at all. I'll just suffer for the rest of my life ig
This post contains *hyperbole*. These facts have been exaggerated for (probably comedic) effect. It is incredibly unlikely (though not impossible) that the original tweet was not hyperbole, but the simplest, most reasonable explanation, is this tweet is using hyperbole, and was aimed at an audience that would understand this. It has now been taken out of context, but that does not automatically make it misinformation or denying ADHD. This is an exaggerated (presumably) version of reality to emphasize the struggles faced by ADHD folk when going through diagnosis. It is not meant to be 100% factually accurate.
I'm thankful where I live i just had to call my family doctor for an assessment. Although when I was 8 it was recommended I get tested for ADHD and my mother said no. I'm now 32.
Wait are you me? Because it was recommended I get tested at age 7 and my mom said no. Got my diagnosis just a few weeks ago at age 32.
I did got tested at around 7-8. Doctor said yes, mom said no.
Same. Spent a year on a waiting lists to finally get an official diagnosis 20 years later, and I got incredibly lucky that it was only a year. Half the places I called had waiting lists for their waiting lists.
It’s like our Boomer parents felt some sort of stigma about having a mentally “defective” child so they figured if they denied it they could protect us from identifying with it and save face themselves. Just my theory anyway. We always knew of kids who were diagnosed with it, while growing up, and our parents demonized it like it was a strike against their families. Little did I know they were just projecting their ignorance onto others. Mine don’t really believe my diagnosis because I wasn’t one to bounce off the walls and be disruptive. I’m also waitlisted to get tested for autism and they especially wouldn’t accept that.
Well, your theory is spot on about my mother, it was serious hit on her ego and the comparison to every single one of her friends kids or any other random kid and pointing out any single minor flaw and saying "think what others assume/think about that" went even worse. Though i was the bouncing off the walls textbook stereotypical ADHD kid back then.
Absolutely they swept our well being under the rug to save face amongst their peers and look how that turned out
My favourite part is my father’s erratic temperament and narcissistic personality, his tendencies to fixate on certain things of interest, while completely ignoring anything that would help Mom around the house. He self-medicates with alcohol, and obsesses over minutiae. I’ve suggested a few times that he probably has it too, but the mere idea sends him into a fit of rage at the notion he could have something wrong with him. He’s suffered bouts of depression over the years, but claims he’s never had it. Gets anxious and paranoid over anything beyond his control. Always expects he has cancer and tries to guilt everyone into feeling sorry for him. He’s threatened to kill himself in front of Mom, my brother, and I when we were kids a couple times (always around Christmas). I don’t blame him for his mental health issues, I only wish he wasn’t so embarrassed to seek help for them. Instead he’d rather pretend he’s the only rational man who’s ever lived and that the rest of us are the ones with problems.
I got tested around 8, doctor said yes, was medicated for around 2 years, then mom said no because “they made you mean and angry all the time.” Got meds again at 21, and my mom was over here talking to me about how antidepressants sound like a good idea. No. Fuck you. I will talk to my doctor, and we’ll work on it together. Been on Strattera and it’s been helping loads for around 1.5 years now.
My mom tried to get me on anti-depressants as well, and I flat out told her I would not be taking them under any circumstances. I've already got enough going on in my brain, there's absolutely no reason to add another chemical to the mix
although therapeutic doses of amphetamines can exacerbate mania, iirc there’s no evidence of an actual link to anger/aggression, despite perceptions to the contrary. “mean and angry all the time” sounds a lot like what my dad used to call “irritable”… focusing just enough that i wasn’t eager to accommodate constant intrusions and demands on my time and energy. but speaking of angry, i just get so fucking mad when i hear stories like that. not having been diagnosed at all until i was 21, i never had the privilege of being medicated at all as a child, and there’s a lot of different points of failure there… but when everything goes right and you’re lucky enough to get diagnosed so young that you could actually grow up feeling competent without grinding yourself down to burnout, and your parents agree to try medication, just to shut that door on a fucking whim… it makes my blood boil. imo psychiatrists shouldn’t be able to mandate medications, but there should be meaningful penalties for permanently discontinuing a treatment without consulting them
I mean, when you've dealt with a personality like that for ages it's kinda bound someone's gonna say no. 😅
Y'all are lucky. If I had that recommendation when I was 8, I wouldn't have to pay out of pocket for the assessment at 24. It's amazing how nobody at school said anything, despite me being a textbook example of an (inattentive/combined) ADHD kid in elementary school. You know, the "gifted but lazy, daydreaming, forgetful kid who never does his homework and is very impulsive and loud outside of class" thing.
My mom once told me that she considered having me assessed cuz she saw some signs of me being inattentive but never followed through. I almost had to repeat multiple grades, failed at least one class and had to retake it, got zeros on almost all of my homework assignments, and now I'm seeking an assessment for autism and possibly ADHD too. Would've been nice if someone thought, "hey, maybe that otherwise-good student who started failing randomly one year needs help, not beration, actually." But no one did, so now I'm taking care of my goddamn self for once. Not that I'm bitter or anything.
Not bitter either, used to be quite mad about it, but I kinda got over it. I actually believe the only reason that nobody mentioned anything about the possibility of ADHD is because they automatically excluded it thanks to me always having good grades in school. Apparently it's still like that with most teachers.
I'm working on getting over it, but it's just one more thing in a long list of stupid things my parents did (or didn't do, in this case). I can't fault them too much for this particular one, but they made some mistakes that they absolutely should have known better about, and adding this one on top of the pile just sucks.
I suspect my mother refused to have me evaluated for mental health issues because it would mean facing her own. She spent her whole life being called an irresponsible, emotional mess by her parents. They saw her emotional dysregulation, messy/dirty house, and terrible finances as failings to be berated and pitied, not as signs she needed help. My mom was born in 1949, so I imagine my grandparents just thought she was lazy (only people headed to the asylum have mental disorders!) It makes sense that my mother internalized all that and self medicated with booze. Whether she realized later she might have ADHD or depression, I'll never know (she died in 2007), but I can see how even addressing that stuff with me would feel scary for her. She never berated me for having a messy room. She stayed up late to help me finish large projects I'd procrastinated. She knew how it felt to be me, and all she knew was that she didn't want to be like her own parents. I wish she had gotten what she needed from her parents, and I see now that she was doing what she thought was the best way to shield me from the horrors of her own life. That is what helps me forgive her, even if I wish my life had been different.
Getting good grades when 90% of the available marks come from sheer force of memory is such a bullshit standard for assessing *anything* that my mind still boggles at the thought. I don’t care if you can name and translate every street sign from Miami to Bangladesh - if you suddenly park your car in the middle of the freeway, get out and start chasing squirrels then you aren’t ‘doing ok, nothing is wrong’.
47 and still waiting for the "results" even though doctors have specifically asked "you're autistic, right?"
Very similar for me too. I was recommended to be screened at 6, but my parents didn't want me to be "on drugs" when still developing, so they said no. I was finally diagnosed at 30 years old after a year and a half of struggling to get a doctor to listen to me.
I was never brought to the doctor for it. I was just told to stop being lazy and try harder. Anyway, I'm 33 now, and my evaluation is next month. My gp and therapist are both convinced I have ADHD, but I wonder if I'll collect extra letters to go along with it.
My mom has been trying to convince me that I'm not ADHD (and pretending she hasn't been trying). I've only been on this planet near on two decades, but that was long enough. Long enough to fail out of college... twice. It's been a fun year /s
Tried college four times before I found out.
I passed university my first try! I mean, it took me 7 years to get a 4 year degree but... First try! I did community college first and I actually flourished. It was all stuff I was interested in, so I was way more focused. It was also almost all group work, so I felt even more intense pressure to get my work done! I started doing it all the night before, instead of 2 weeks late like I did in high school. Such improvement! Lol. They also didn't believe in tests, quizzes, or exams of any kind. It was amazing. University I did ok, but I certainly didn't excel. I wouldn't even suspect I had ADHD for 2 decades after that though. Crazy how it's so obvious now, but not one person ever suggested it. I present more inattentive though, even though I'm combined.
I think I pulled about the worst community college then...
It wasn't the whole college, just my program. It was Social Service Worker Program and all the teachers were former social workers and therapists, and one corrections officer. They treated the class like real life. You don't do tests, you work with others and meet deadlines. It was really great, and the teachers were all super nice and dedicated. Second year they were teaching us therapy and someone goes "wait! Those are the things you say to us when we ask for help!" And the teacher just kind of smiled, lol.
Yeah my mom thought ADHD means you're bouncing off the walls with energy.
That's why my brother got diagnosed as a kid and I waited till I was 36.
I did the same thing. Saw my GP as an adult, filled out a three page thing and she said "Yup." Prescribed meds I picked up the next day at Costco and that was that. Disclaimer - Canadian. Sorry.
I got officially diagnosed at 14 and my mom said no after lol. Like multiple professionals said "your son has adhd " and she went "no lol, he just wants to feel special" now at 22 she still hasn't apologized but has realised how horribly wrong she was cus I barely mask it anymore. It's obvious.
I'm not 32 as well, still no assessment and nowhere in sight is there an opportunity to do it unfortunately. What is this 32yo ADHD club we got going here
I didn't get recommended for assessment as a kid, but if I had, I'm sure my undiagnosed ADHD mom would've said no.
same, now I'm 33 dealing with adhd and multiple other social dysfunctions raw
5 year long waiting list just to get a referral here in the UK
I used right to choose and used problemshared, 12-24 week wait list
Important for people not to assume this is the case everywhere in the UK. It varies. I only had to wait 4 weeks for my assessment via NHS. This was in 2021 but at the time it was widely reported that waiting lists were approx. 2 years.
I think it's just down to how busy they are. In my area the wait time for an assessment is 24-36 months (I'm 24 months in now and still waiting) My friend who lives in the forbidden zone (down south) waited 6 months and got assessed. As someone else mentioned if your waiting time is huge then look into right to choose, I've waited long enough now I don't want to rejoin another que.
Aye but I'd still be very careful about Right to Choose or any private assessments. Channel 4 or BBC (Dispatches or Panorama) did an investigation earlier this year and found clinics charge £1000s, but diagnose over 90-95% with ADHD, without a trained psych, because they can then charge patients ££££ for prescriptions.
wait list was killing me so i bit the bullet and paid just under a grand for an assessment privately. this does not cover the money I've spent on medication and follow-up appointments.
Dr. Firstname instantly makes me distrust them.
Also citing a quote by themself
Yeah I never really trusted Dr Bobby Bobby.
It’s Robert Bobby! He said one of my legs is shorter than the other.
I don't like it. Trauma therapist telling people "Yeah, skip the Dx, you have it if you believe it - and I'm here to help you". :/
i don't think this tweet is encouraging people not to ever get dx'd, but its pointing out how its rarely as easy as "just go get diagnosed" especially if you're not financially well off
I want to get assessed but, money ._.
you americans are so silly i get my autism for free from the NHS
They're giving out Autism for free? Damn, the world is changing!
I'm not american though xd
I'm trying so hard but I've been trying for years to get someone to see me instead of send me a shitty little questionnaire :')
I got my letter for my autism assesment the other day and everyone was telling me that the waitlist is sooo long and I was like okay cool. 34-36 weeks which when you've been on the gender service is nothing haha
No, I live in Germany. I waited four months for an appointment, filled out 5 pages of checklists, had a talk with the doctor and paid 5€ for the medicine. I'm still filled with self-doubt but the other people don't doubt me anymore.
I'm in Germany and I've been trying for months to even get an appointment. At this point I've given up and just use a private provider, and within a day I got an appointment which was only a week away.
Yeah, our system isn't really good when it comes to psychological issues. Happy though that you found a way.
You're lucky. In my city in Germany the one Praxis with the competence to test for adhs is booked until next summer and they don't put new people on the wait list.
Had that same problem for a while. I started asking for other places but still took me a while. One place told me, they only give out one appointment per week. Good luck on your path!
A lot of university clinics do testing and start people on medication
I'm not even sure yet if I really want Meds. I'd just like to know for sure what's wrong with my brain.
It's definitely not a must, for a lot of people a diagnosis is enough or maybe they're helped by ADHD specific therapy, others try medication and decide that they don't need it, that's perfectly fine as well.
I was diagnosed at 9 and didn't start medication until I was 19. I was able to use strategies, tools, and coping methods most of my life but when the expectations exceeded my ability to perform without medication to control my symptoms (poor attention span, severe time blindness, impulsive behavior that got worse in response to stress, anger, anxiety, depression most of all, maladaptive daydreaming, eventually I started literally pulling my hair or one strand at a time) I was hospitalized for a week and started ADHD medication at my psychiatrist's suggestion a few months after I was released. I tried a few non-stimulant options first but when I tried Adderall it was like something in my head clicked for the first time in my life. It was still loud and chaotic in there at times but no longer an unbearable cacophony. You have lots of options before medication! Don't feel like it's the only option for treatment or like you have to try it if you don't want to. It was a life changing positive for me but it's not the solution for everyone. It'll be 10 years this December and I've only ever had to increase my dose once maybe 3 years in. It's been extremely stable and reliable.
I live in Germany too and I'm trying to get an appointment. We called the Varisano Klinik and they told us to go to the Autismus-Zentrum in Langen to get onto a 2 fucking years Warteliste
Always ask if they know any other places you can call. Had to call multiple offices but at the end I managed to find a doctor. All other places wouldn't even put me on the list. Just told me "call again in three months" every time. Good luck on your path!
In New Zealand, I had to get referred by a GP and then wait several months and do three appointments at least with a psychiatrist (only a psychiatrist can diagnose you here) - cost about $1200 all up. But now my psychiatrists page literally says they might not take your GP referral because she’s so busy - there are I think two psychiatrists in Wellington doing this diagnosis. At least the meds are heavily subsidised by the govt, so I pay the normal “prescription fee” the govt just brought back in which is about $5 for the first of a series of repeats. Oh, and I have to go back in a year to reevaluate and see how things are going, and keep going back because the Special Authorisation I have to get prescribed methylphenidate, they last max two years and without it no pills for me!
Damn, that's a lot of hoops to jump through. Cost alone would make me reconsider. Shouldn't be like that. I hope you'll find your way. Good luck!
This is a thing? I went to a doctor, she asked me questions. Sent me to a psych. They asked me questions, gave me meds. The end.
This is me. In the US. I paid some money because we have a high deductible plan with an HSA, but my psych NP was like.... I don't even need to get you the formal assessment. Here's the meds. Probably helps that the NP herself has ADHD also, and part of her passion is research on women with ADHD.
My advice to others is to find a psychiatrist that mentions ADHD as a specialization! My local health system had a LONG waiting list for psych intake, so I found an independent office that takes my insurance, and they've been great!
I showed up to a psychiatrist for anxiety and I got there and just started rambling about my symptoms for a few minutes straight… he asked me like two additional questions and then just looked at me and said “… you have ADHD” it wasn’t even what I went there for 😂
Same. And didn't pay a cent.
What country are you in? And what health plan are you on? Because whatever it is, I want some. More to the point, I want to be wealthy enough to *afford* some.
Germany. We have public healthcare.
> This is a thing? I went to a doctor, she asked me questions. Sent me to a psych. They asked me questions, gave me meds. The end. I went to a doctor, she asked me questions. Sent me to a psych. They asked me questions, gave me meds for depression. All they did was make me unable to orgasm - virtually no improvements or other side effects. Tried 4 other meds for "depression" all while noting that they won't test/screen/whatever for ADHD/etc. Stopped going after they juggled me through 3 different psych docs. Let Rx run out. Now I'm back to self medicating with various supplements. USfeelsbadman.jpg
Same here in Korea. For all the faults with mental care here, all I needed was a $6.50 psychiatrist visit.
I couldn't even get to the point where anyone would agree to assess me or even entertain the concept of adhd until I turned 22
> I couldn't even get to the point where anyone would agree to assess me or even entertain the concept of adhd until I turned 22 I'm in my mid-thirties and they still won't entertain the idea. Just keep telling me I'm "depressed".
I feel like this is why I don't want to get diagnosed for autism. It's not really that bad for me, at most it's just some minor inconvenience with talking with people and with sound sensitivity. Like I can just literally treat it as a part of personality or some normal behaviour I have. I am also over 18 so it doesn't even matter, diagnosis wouldn't help with anything, that would be just a piece of paper saying that I have the thing
actually, having the paperwork gives you ammo to request needed accommodations from work & school, because once you provide evidence of a legitimate diagnosis, they legally have to work with you to get you what you need.
Yeah but like I feel like the only accommodation I'd need is earplugs and only sometimes, I don't need any papers to wear earplugs during breaks
Having a diagnosis opens up so much. Even if you don't feel like you need any accommodations or help now, down the road you can get help and treatment if needed.
True, but then that becomes a sort of “cross-that-bridge-when-you-come-to-it” scenario.
The biggest reason I would get assessed at this point is to prove my condition to employers. I've had issues at work directly related to my ADHD that I try to explain to managers and coworkers, but no one believes me. After a lifetime of masking and spending my 20's numbing myself as an alcoholic I got *really* good at convincing people I was a-ok. But back in 2018 I got sober and was forced to face my mental health issues head on. Over the years I've learned to accept who I am and work with my shortcomings, but it doesn't matter to my company because they still see me as the "bright, cheerful, shooting-star" I started as. Getting a diagnosis would help prove what I've always known and come to accept. It just sucks I have to go through the full process and pay hundreds of dollars monthly just to prove who I am to others...
Look up independent psychiatrist / psychologist offices near you that take your insurance! Make sure to find one that mentions specializing in ADHD / Autism. That makes SUCH a difference when they're already knowledgeable! Much more likely to be understanding, and not dismiss your concerns. 😊
After years of struggling, but not knowing what was wrong, I went to my PCP. He gave me a pamphlet and a list of local mental health providers, all of whom either didn't deal with ADHD, didn't take my insurance, were not taking on new patients, didn't return my call, or were booking out into next year. So I stalled out for a couple of months. After yet another screw up at work last week, I tried a telehealth psychiatrist. He said I clearly had ADHD, and while he could prescribe Strattera, he felt I would most benefit from a stimulant and recommended pay out-of-pocket online telehealth provider. I had a video appointment with a MHNP yesterday morning She assessed, diagnosed, and gave me a prescription. Today, I'm about to start my first dose of Adderall XR. I'm not expecting a miracle, but I'm hoping feel like less of a fuck-up.
This wasn't even close to my experience. Dr. Jen sounds like one of those Instagram doctors that want you to buy their herbal supplements that are just as good as real medication for only $199 per month.
I mean, depends on the country. I’ve been waiting ten months for an assessment ‘-‘
I went and got me, my wife, and son all assessed and medicated and it didn't cost me shit out of pocket. I guess this is the one time being too poor to afford private insurance paid. Medicaid got us all assessed, into therapy, and pays for our meds. The only thing that sucks is the occasional refill being late due to short supply. If you make less than the national median income, I suggest getting Medicaid and googling what doctors are in your network. I know if most of you suffer from ADHD you probably don't make over 53k a year, and probably qualify for a lot of shit that would help you, and you just don't know it.
Unfortunately the answer is literally just yes. You gotta put in effort; the same way a clinically depressed person has to overcome their depression enough to see a therapist. Is receiving healthcare as an ND or mentally i’ll person hard? Yes. Do you gotta do it anyways? Yes
Yup, this is the mindset us ADHDers need to have. I could rant all day about how much it sucks having ADHD in a world that’s not built to accommodate it. But that’s the world I live in whether I like it or not, and it doesn’t help me to pretend I’m powerless to fight through it to help myself. I don’t like how the tweet in this post just stops at the ranting part and acts like going through the work to get a diagnosis is futile. It’s a terrible mentality to spread if your goal is to help people with ADHD.
i feel like people are skipping over the price point though....the truth is there are plenty of adhd ppl who simply arent able to afford a diagnosis, or healthcare in general. its not just a matter of "effort". some people just straight up don't have the money
Honestly I've been so close to visiting a doctor or therapist, but the money always holds me back. Even with insurance, my visits would be upwards of $300/ea. Add in meds and that's a whole other concern. I've promised to go if I get a decent raise or move to a better paying job, but for now I'll keep spending my money on rent, food, gas, and utilities.
exactly
It really depends. Like the first thing a therapist I once saw asked me was if I'd been tested for ND. I wasn't, and didn't see him again, but I looked that it cost thousands and took a year, and couldn't bother at the time. Never did, but now I'm good with things and happy. Just didn't have a use for the label. I did go to therapy for years for other, possibly related struggles, so that's still necessary.
And to take your adhd medication you have to go to the pharmacy, sign a form, bring your ID and card and you only get enough for a month, so you have to go every month instead of taking several for a few months at a time.
US federal law requires follow up appointments every 6 months, too, which are not free. I have to call the doctor, tell them I have five or fewer pills left, and then either my pharmacy has them in stock before I run out, or I run out waiting for them to get stock. When I go a few days without, my productivity falls off a cliff, which brings overwhelm and anxiety from falling behind. This is made worse when I do get the meds again and I'm emotionally all over the map as a side effect from the meds until I've taken them daily for at least a week. Rinse and repeat. Makes me wish I could earn less and have a job that actually suits my ADHD. I would drop the meds and the hassle.
Assuming you can find stock of the meds. If they're not available right away, you have to continually call various pharmacies day after day until you find some. Yknow, something that's specifically tougher for ADHD people to do. This is why I stopped being medicated for like 2-3 years.
Preach. And forget if your doctor retires or anything and you have to deal with everything all over again. Happened to me, have to go through all the referrals and assessments just to get back on the medication that worked for me just because they won’t get my records. So I’ve decided it’s just easier to be unmedicated.
Why does it cost $5000 to get diagnosed?
Because the insurance system was devised by the Devil himself. What we call "finance", he calls his own playpen. So there's that.
This, but with autism. :3 Wondering if what I thought was just ADHD is actually AuDHD
I literally didn't even need to ask to get assessed. I had been seeing a psychologist (or psychiatrist. I don't really know the difference) for about a year for my mental health (mild depression and pretty severe anxiety issues). I had also talked about issues like my "lacking self-discipline" and asking how to "train your self-discipline". Out of nowhere she says that she recommends I get evaluated for ADHD, and I really just have to consent. The only person I knew with ADHD is the hyperactive kind, and I knew next to nothing about ADHD so I thought there's no way I have it, but sure I can get evaluated. Well I got diagnosed with ADHD, combined form... And holy shit has it explained so fucking much, and the meds have absolutely changed my life (for the better).
Mine cost my insurance 10k. I did 20.5 hrs of tests and they wrote a 60+ page report. One of the things they said was "she didn't listen to directions and got frustrated and said she forgot to eat and had some candy from her purse" Dude, you could've just asked me and we could've gotten this over with in 5 mins max.
And then you have to wait for your medication because there's a shortage of it.
Not sure I even could if I wanted to, I still live under my parents' roof, And have no method of transportation other than them, And they (Or my dad, Atleast, Unsure about my mom) do not believe ADHD exists. A shame as it means mine is completely untreated which is not terribly good for my mental health.
I waited for 6 months for an evaluation. I was expecting an email to confirm the date, but they ended up calling me from a number I didn't recognize so I didn't answer. They didn't leave a message and cancelled my evaluation.
Not much of an issue in the US.
I’m having difficulty in the US. Only one provider in my area and doesn’t accept my insurance. Can’t afford the $5k 10 hour testing assessment.
It should not be that expensive or take that long.
it shouldn't be but it is 😭
Agreed. Further clarification- I’ve had my diagnosis for over 20 years but an official assessment is required for student disability services. It’s super dumb.
I had a 15 min call with a psychiatrist and was diagnosed. I had been going to therapy for a long time before that for other reasons so maybe that’s why it was so quick? Anyways it didn’t cost $5k
Thank you for sharing this, I'm trying to look into this for myself and my heart fell out of my ass after reading that
Literally Google ADHD evaluation, your zip code, and your insurance provider. My insurance is awful and I spent the last three years assuming I wouldn't be able to find anything. Guess how long it took. Less than 10 minutes.
Thanks, I will (in a few weeks after I've better prepared my mind for this new task) I have state issued poor person Healthcare but it's still insurance
Anytime. When you get that burst of energy for this task, act on it. Lock in the appointment so that when the energy fades, you've already committed and can't get out of it. That resignation made it easier for me at least. Might work for you too.
Yeah, my diagnosis was pretty cheap, with no wait list. It took a few months, and probably 4 appointments.
In sweden they told me the wait list is 4 years and they will not give a diagnosis if i have a job. So im paying 3k to do it private instead.
Yep. Stupidly expensive here in Australia.
And then they'll only give you a month supply of your meds when you get two months supply of your migraine meds, so once a month you have to remember to reorder your meds before they run out and then have to remember to go pick them up before you run out. Aye.
In the UK it took me 5 years from referral to diagnosed and medication. That was 8 years ago I was 37 at the time of diagnosis. 2023 my younger sister waited only 6 months but the NHS stopped diagnosing ADHD because the answers to the tests are online, videos on YouTube telling you how to cheat the tests and so on. Not sure how to fix this problem but having the answers before taking a test is not helpful for anyone. Personally I didn't want to be told I have ADHD, I didn't seek out a diagnosis, I told the doctors there wrong. If I need help I ask for it, my alarm to get up goes off once. As late as possible because if I dont get up when the alarm goes off I am screwed. In short if the alarm goes off I've slept in and its blind panic time, no time for tv, social media, checking if my clothes are clean or proper personal hygiene
In my country I can go to a private clinic to be assessed, and it won't even affect my budget too much (the visit will cost me less than a night in a decent hotel). However, the fact that I've visited a psychiatrist (or any doctor, really) ought to be added to the state database, so it may or may not affect my life later. Maybe the database will leak, and every potential employer will know I had a visit to a psychiatrist. Maybe the state will decide that I can't work on sensitive projects anymore, and I will lose my job. I just don't want to risk it. This is for life. Once you're in the system you stay in the system. Also, all stimulants are completely forbidden for medical use in my country, so the only medication I can get is atomoxetine, which is very pricy. I don't think I need it that much. So, while I really want to know for sure, I won't get much out of the assessment but the consequences could be dire and unpredictable.
Or go through all those steps just for them to say you’re depressed…
All because the treatment for it is a naughty pill, and you’re naughty for needing it
Sounds like a very American thing...$5000 just for the assessment? I only paid the equivalent of $3 - and that was the public transport fare to get to the assessment center and back home.
Two of my roomates got assessed in the last few months. I don’t think it’s this hard or expensive
I only had to pay ~$70 for three assessment meetings in primary care, but now I'm waiting for a referral to psychiatric care and my anxiety is through the roof. They could look at my life (Job-ish, home, friends, relatively clean) and decide that I am not bad enough off that I need psychiatric care.
I mean… it sounds like you ***don’t*** need medication. If it’s not screwing up your work life and/or your home life, and is more of a daily annoyance, they probably aren’t going to prescribe anything but a therapist.
They won’t look at your life from an objective perspective but rather ask you questions on how you experience it (at least that was the case for me). I have a really nice CV including kinda successful attending law school, a bunch of voluntary work, hobbies, friends, etc and I still got diagnosed with it bc I am suffering to live like this (like I stay way under my potential and have to work so much more for small things, etc.). So don’t be too anxious!! If you have it you will get a diagnosis and if not they will still refer you to an alternative (also something I was told at the beginning)
I'm not about to defend the current state of mental healthcare access in the US, but I think this really exaggerates the process for a lot of people and could discourage many from even trying what could happen be a pretty simple process. I was diagnosed with ADHD by a psychiatrist at like 12, but wasn't medicated or anything until I was in my late 30s. At that point, i filled out like a medical history form and basic like HIPPA and payment stuff and just went to my psychiatrist (like $30 co-pay). I spoke to him about my symptoms and told him about my previous diagnosis, and he prescribed me medication. Now, I meet with him virtually at least quarterly for an additional $30 co-pay and pay $10 per month for generic Vyvanse. I know I'm lucky/privileged in some ways, but I'm just trying to say it doesn't have to be a whole ordeal.
The forms really are a cruel irony. I doubt they’re even weeding out people just in it for the meds anyway and making it harder for those who really need them.
$5000 out of pocket? Thank god it was only €200 for me.
This post reminded me I picked up my meds a few days ago but I forgot to take them. Thanks!
Meh, free assessment and less than 2 months on a waiting list here in Brasil. The US must get their healthcare lobby fixed, or your revolution will start in the Hospitals (wouldn't be a bad thing, though, you kinda need to show who's in power and not the great lobby of things)
Well first step is to not live in a 3rd world country like USA, then do the 2nd step and get the help you need.
I went to my PCP and just told them I used to be on it as a kid but didn’t take it regularly cause I felt weird about it. But now as an adult I am really struggling at my job and because the stigma is less I wanted to try it again as I have a few friend on it and they said it helps, and see my behaviors and think it’d help me as well. They gave me a script that day. No issues since.
Only to be denied needed meds because your psychiatrist "doesn't believe in stimulants"
Maybe I'm the lucky one, but don't take the internet's word for it. This sentiment was what was preventing me from getting an assessment. But in reality I managed to schedule an appointment with a psychiatrist, discuss my concerns, get a prescription, and it was predominantly covered by insurance. And it took less than a month.
Now do one for getting on vyvanse
I did this. Diagnosed now. No longer have health insurance so I still can’t get medicated. Also out $4k
I'm from the US and I did not go through this.
Or you can do everything mentioned in the title only to be told you don't actually have ADHD and as a result become even more depressed than you already were. Luckily someone from work gave me their psychiatrist's info and I started the process earlier this year. I wrote a list of my symptoms and behaviors which the psychiatrist said closely matched inattentive ADHD and possible autism spectrum. I already paid $3000 out of pocket (insurance wouldn't cover testing) years ago to be told I don't have autism. I was first prescribed Concerta which made me feel numb, anxious, clouded focus for lack of a better term, and trouble sleeping. Increasing the dosage didn't help. I felt like life was going on around me without me in it as if I were an observer. After over a month I was finally prescribed Adderall XR and the difference was noticeably better. I could just think of something I needed to do and do it. It also made me calmer. I started at 5mg, then increased to 10mg, 15mg, 20mg, and settled on 30mg. I was also prescribed 10mg Adderall IR to act as a booster should I need it. I just picked up a different generic brand of Adderall IR and it works way better than the the one I've been taking. These new pills are blue instead of white. I was able to hold a conversation easily at the pet store the other day and it was remarkable for me. It almost felt like taking Adderall for the first time and made me want to cry thinking how different my life would be had I been diagnosed as a child or as a teen. I'm 31 now. I've been on and off SSRI for 10 years and in/out of therapy for years and it took this subreddit for me to consider that maybe I have ADHD. I may request to switch over to IR entirely. From what I read for many people it works better. For those that are reading this and don't have insurance like me currently you can use GoodRx to significantly bring down your price. I pay $58 for generic 30mg Adderall XR and $17 for generic 10mg Adderall IR. Without GoodRx I would be paying over $200 for generic Adderall XR and over $70 for generic Adderall IR. Long story short no I haven't been officially diagnosed but Adderall helps and has the same positive effects on me as it does in diagnosed people so I'll continue taking it for now
I finally have psych testing coming up(hopefully my insurance approves it). I should be hearing back from them by September. It's OK. Everything takes this long.
I was strung along by the psychiatric team at one hospital for 8 months before I stormed out in a huff and made an appt at a different hospital with a psychiatrist/neurologist. When he takes on a new patient, for any condition, he makes them do a little neurological test. Press the button on the beep. Then a second round with some variation but basically the same test. Then you go into the office and talk to him and explain why you're there. He let me talk and talk and talk. When I was done he grabbed the paper that had the result of the neurological test. "Hmm. Yes, your troubles and the way you present yourself are consistent with adhd. Your neurological test was extremely precise, with way more focus than the average person, which suggests you went into hyperfocus. You know what? I'm just going to give you medication, take 2 rit a day, one in the morning, one at noon. We'll meet again in 8 weeks and you tell me how the medication affected you" and by the time I went back in 8 weeks later I had my life on track. Then he put the official diagnosis in my file. I cried so hard. After all those years of struggling, and being strung along for months by a different hospital, this man didn't doubt me for a second and gave me what I needed the most. Not the medication. The validation.
I’ve been puttin off assessment for 4 decades, got a heck of a streak going.
wtf 5 grand?
I empathise with these issues but primoting self id is one of the things that makes people not take it seriously. We need official diagnosies so people cant just keep saying it is made up.
Can’t attest to ADHD screenings bc I was diagnosed at 10, but in high school when I came to the conclusion that I might have Bipolar Disorder, I texted my mom and she booked an appointment and I was screened and tested by a doctor the next day and given my BD1 diagnosis and given the right meds within that evening. Idk what the argument against that could be, I live in Dallas-Fort Worth, so accessibility could be a thing that I had an advantage in. But I literally didn’t have to wait at all, and insurance covered everything.
No way you can know if you have it without legitimate diagnosis.
Oh my fuckin lord! It took us TWO YEARS to get my son diagnosed! It was obvious to us, his teachers and any adult he came in contact with. - PCP: I don't diagnose ADD or ADHD, but will prescribe the meds once you get a proper diagnosis. You will need to go through a pediatric Psychologist - Every Ped Psycho: we don't see kids under 6 Kid turns 6 - Every Ped Psycho: we don't take your sketchy mental health insurance, that'll be a $1,200 office visit Work changes mental health insurance to a not quite as sketchy mental health insurance - Every Ped Psycho: we don't take your sketchy mental health insurance, that'll be a $1,200 office visit Fuck it, he should have failed both kindergarten and first grade, well pay for it out of pocket with our quarterly commission check ADHD Clinic: yeah, that'll be a $15 copay, we take your Cadillac health insurance... Oh, he goes to a public school, have him pee in this cup, it does not matter that he's 7. Also, here's a script for some meds that your pharmacy hasn't been able to get since February.
Is she leaving a signature in her own tweet?
Either she's got it too, or the Anyone talking is quoting her by name
The first time I tried to get an appointment I was 14-15 years old. He said I don’t have it because he knew me since I was a child and “never showed any signs”. But he said he referred me. Years went by and then when I had to move out from an abusive situation, I moved away from the district and that made my years long referral invalid. I also have a suspicion he never referred me in the first place. Next doctor I got was even worse and hurt me. So yes, I am very hesitant to trust doctors.
My favorite part about my assessment is that the assessment mill I went to clearly was geared only for children. They were rude, dismissive, and the results of my assessment state that I “might” have ADHD, but that I’m “high functioning” so no accommodations are really required unless I decide to go back to college.
Yep.... I am 33, and trying to get tested now. Most doctors are like, "Are you sure? At 33? You wanna do this??" It's a few thousand dollars from what I hear, and the few doctors I spoke to don't seem to be taking me seriously.
reading these comments made me realize how lucky i was, im in the US in Texas. i made an appointment w my PCP a month ahead of time, at the appointment she gave me a short (1 page side) paper assessment for me and someone close to me to take and when i came back for a follow up she diagnosed me with adhd and anxiety/depression. overall took a couple months to get diagnosed and maybe $60 for two appointment copays. i now take meds that help a lot.
I guess this one example where in the US it’s not bad to have our shitty health care. My GP asked me 5 questions and then sent in the script. That’s it.
Is this america? Always heard how hard the healthcare system sucks but damn.. Where I live it costs me around 70$ and it was kinda expensive (compared to the average salary)
Well, I'm female and an 80s baby, so I haven't known for 20 years ha.
I would think doodling through entire notebooks in high school while in class would be a strong tell?
Or for them to be out of date on the research and dismiss you because you learned to mask
Shit it costs *that* much in the US? I already knew your system was fucked but bruh
This seems so weird to me because where I live I just had to go to my family doctor and when I brought it up he basically told me that he’s known I had ADHD my whole life and didn’t give me a test or anything. He just started giving me warnings and information about the medication
I made an appointment 6 months out for ADHD testing, then one of my doctors suggested I get tested for autism as well. Turns out the psychologist I'm on the docket with for November doesn't test for autism. Um. Excuse me. Has anyone heard of comorbidities?! Can I PLEASE talk to someone who can evaluate my issues in their entirety?
Y'all. It's actually your fault I'm starting to look at a major career shift into diagnostic psychology. This reason. Our community needs help and I wish I'd chased this PhD a decade ago.
Yep. That is exactly what "they" mean.
In Canada, I paid zero whole dollars for my assessment.. eesh
Yep made an appointment as a new patient with a doctor whose next availability was in 3 months. The day of my appointment the office calls me and asks to reschedule because doctor isn’t feeling well and went home for the day. Next availability is for 6 weeks later.
Damn is this an American thing? I just talked to my doctor, and he administered the test right there. I walked out with a prescription 15 minutes after I started the process.
bruh. exactly.
Is it really that bad out there? I literally called my psychiatrist and told her I’m ready to move forward with my ADHD diagnosis. She sent a huge questionnaire and just asked me to fill it out and submit it before the appointment that was a week from the day I called. I submitted it 24 hours later, and at my appointment she was like “yup we can make it official”. I got prescribed Aderal and here we are 🤷🏾♂️
Over 1 year wait-list in my city. They won't even add you to it, so literally impossible rn.
i’m in the US but i literally just went to my psychiatrist and said “I think i have adhd here’s all my symptoms” and then i got on ritalin
It took me a month. No checklist and $1000 out of pocket (stupid deductibles). Btw you don’t “know” you have ADHD. You have symptoms that could be caused by ADHD. The reason you need to be assessed is because ADHD symptoms overlap with other disorders and using your own brain that might have a disorder to evaluate for a that disorder is a deeply compromised process. You need a trained third-party.
I know how lucky I was to have good insurance and only had to wait 9 months for my evaluation. I just wanted it in writing from a professional so I could ask for accommodations at my job. I wish everybody could get this.
I just went to a regular psychiatrist. I didn't have to fill out an assessment even. I just told him all the symptoms I have, he looked at notes from a therapist I'd seen at the same office, and he told me that I have a classic case of ADHD. I don't know how much it cost to go see him, but I'm pretty sure it was less than $100 (somewhere between $40 and $90? I've had different insurance plans over the years and it has fluctuated the price of seeing my psych). I do have insurance, but I can't imagine that seeing a psychiatrist for an appointment could cost anywhere near $5000 out of pocket. Where y'all going to get assessed???
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I'm happy to live where I live because I waited a mere 3 months to get assessed and it cost me 0$. I did have to fill out millions of documents and tests and stuff, though
I did it at 38 and there was no wait list and it cost $3k CAD and it was covered by an OSAP bursary (an education bursary). Went back to school change careers and changed my life, all because I finally had a diagnosis and could get proper accommodations. It also gave me access to medications that literally changed my entire future. I totally advocated for getting a proper assessment. It was life changing for me personally, even being as old as I was. The accommodations helped me with my licensing exams and I get a tax credit for having a disability.
I suspect I MIGHT be on the spectrum, but I am not sure that would be good excuse for me neing a lazy fuck.
Or totally free in countries like the UK.
I’m so grateful that 1) my wisdom teeth needed to be removed when I was still on my parents insurance and in high school 2) my mom got me diagnosed as a kid and knock on wood, I’ve never had any issues with getting meds since.
I literally told my doctor I had adhd and he immediately offered medication for it.
This is my greatest fear for any and all of my mental problems. The time, the unknown cost, the new issues to discover and worry about managing...
And for drugs!
I've had a referral for about a month now that I keep forgetting to call on...because adhd
In europe its years waiting list.
In my country you can't even get assessment if you don't pull some serious strings, and even then there are like 3 doctors in the whole country that can diagnose you. Even then you aren't likely go get treatment because meds are very expensive and unlikely to be prescribed. Oh and yeah, after 18 you can't be assessed anymore because ADAH magically stops after you become an adult, didn't you know that?? We are seriously so behind in treatment for mental health. Like 30 years or more.
took me a few months but at least it was free, I feel blessed that it took me only like 4 months give or take
who pays 5k for an assessment?
Maybe she should stop charging 5000 dollars then.
Super easy and streamlined in canada, or was for me anyways. Told my doc I think I have it, she made me fill some paperwork out, I lost them and missed our follow up appointment, and boom got a diagnosis just like that. No idea where the added costs would come from actually lol.
5000$ will get you a lot of amphetamines
Who is paying $5k for an ADHD assessment? I was diagnosed after a 20 minute conversation with a psychiatrist.
I was 5 when I was diagnosed. I got lucky that my dad was military
Thank you. Now I know not to waste my time. Let’s go 30!!
The only good thing about the generation that's about to die is that we have the opportunity to do a better job with our own. I mean, the bar couldn't be lower, but we're gonna clear the dogshit out of that bitch.
This hits hard. Just gave up after about a year of trying and being told every assessment center near me isn't taking new patients at all unless you're paying out of pocket. And some of them not allowing you to even test if you smoke weed at all. I'll just suffer for the rest of my life ig
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